Understanding the Drivers of Lean Learning in Industrial Environments

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the benefits of adopting lean tools. However, a successful lean transformation depends on the active involvement of all organizational members. Comprehensive employee training is, therefore, fundamental to the effective implementation of lean manufacturing practices. Although collaborative and dynamic practical sessions have been implemented in certain university settings for teaching lean principles, there is limited research exploring how learning outcomes are influenced by participants’ characteristics. Examining these relationships is even scarcer in the literature concerning industrial training activities. This study examines the impact of lean training on employee learning within an industrial organization, looking at 177 participants and analyzing the relationship between learning outcomes and variables such as self-efficacy beliefs, prior knowledge, motivation, and enjoyment. The results show that the training significantly improved the participants’ lean knowledge level. A significant relationship was found between self-efficacy beliefs and employees’ motivation, which in turn had a positive impact on their learning. Based on these findings, companies should consider lean training that engages employees’ curiosity using non-traditional teaching methods.